Eyes on the eyesores

People who own homes here for the most part are meticulous in the care of their properties.

Unfortunately, because of the high foreclosure rate we recently have endured, many homes are owned by banks and other investors and are not being kept up, falling by the wayside.

It’s shameful to see house after house with neatly groomed yards and then run across one or more with grass and weeds up knee high. That sabotages the efforts of caring people who take pride in their homes and community.

The City Council also recognizes this problem and is discussing ways to force banks or investors to keep up their properties in a neat fashion. We support the council’s work on this eyesore issue.

Our only suggestion is that council members craft an ordinance that is loose enough to enforce.

If you know a property that is unkempt, especially one that has a for-sale sign out front, let us know. We will add it to our Eyesore of the Week list of properties.

Perhaps public scrutiny and strict enforcement that hits some property owners right in the old pocketbook can help us to have a clean and beautiful city.